Strategy

Stop Solving the Brief. Start Solving the Business.

Most marketing briefs are symptoms, not diagnoses.

They describe what the client wants — not what the business needs.

Great strategists look past the brief to find the real problem.

The Brief Is Rarely the Problem

Here's a common scenario:

Client: "We need a new campaign to drive awareness."

Agency: "Great, here are three campaign concepts."

But wait — is awareness actually the problem?

Maybe the brand is well-known but poorly understood. Maybe the product is great but the pricing is wrong. Maybe the sales team can't close leads.

A campaign won't fix any of those.

The Strategic Ladder

Before accepting a brief, climb the strategic ladder:

  1. Tactic: What are they asking for? (e.g., "a campaign")
  2. Objective: What outcome do they want? (e.g., "more awareness")
  3. Problem: What's actually holding them back? (e.g., "we're not considered in the category")
  4. Business Goal: What does success look like for the business? (e.g., "grow market share by 5%")

Most briefs live at levels 1 and 2. Great strategy starts at levels 3 and 4.

A Real Example

I once worked with a brand that wanted a "brand refresh." They felt dated and wanted to look more modern.

But when we dug in, the real problem wasn't the logo. It was positioning. They were trying to compete with premium brands on price — and with budget brands on quality. They were stuck in the middle.

No amount of design would fix that.

We repositioned the brand around a specific use case where they could win. Then we updated the visual identity to match.

The "brand refresh" worked — but only because we solved the real problem first.

How to Solve the Business, Not the Brief

  1. Ask "Why" Five Times

Keep pushing until you get to the root cause. "We need more leads" might really mean "our sales cycle is too long" or "our product-market fit is off."

  1. Talk to More Than Marketing

The best insights often come from sales, customer service, or finance. They see problems marketing doesn't.

  1. Challenge the Objective

If the goal doesn't ladder up to business outcomes, push back. "Awareness" is not a business goal. "Revenue growth" is.

  1. Propose the Bigger Solve

Don't just execute the brief. Show the client what they're missing. They'll respect you more — and the work will be better.

Bottom Line

Anyone can solve a brief. Few can solve the business.

That's where the real value is.

Next time you get a brief, don't start with "how." Start with "why."

What's the biggest gap you've seen between a brief and the real business problem? I'd love to hear your stories.